HUNTSVILLE – Huntsville’s Kendra Clarke and her teammates know what it feels like to bask in golden glory.
The 17-year-old member of the Orillia Kings all-female lacrosse squad said a solid season earned the team a spot at the provincial championship, which was held in Whitby from Aug. 3 to 5.
The girls battled four teams over the three-day tournament to come out on top and snag the first-place gold medal.
“It was pretty amazing how much our team worked together and how hard we fought to get the gold,” said Clarke.
Her teammates include Huntsville’s Marah Roberson and Bracebridge’s Sidney Bowman.
The team’s stiffest competition during the championship was the Sarnia Pacers. The Kings’ first battle with the Pacers ended in a 6-3 defeat.
The two squads met again in the final.
“The last game was a big competition because they won against us the first game that we played. They were really trying hard to win the second game, too,” said Clarke.
But the Kings stole the victory at the wire and took a 4-3 win.
“It was a pretty good game,” she said. “It was a tough fight, but we did it.”
Without a league in Muskoka, the girls head to Orillia to compete in lacrosse.
Clarke said she travels south at least three times a week for practices and games.
She said her love of the game makes the long journeys and gruelling schedule worth every minute.
“I do it for the game and my teammates,” she said. “I love them.”
The girls planned to celebrate their provincial title at a banquet in Orillia on Aug. 13.
The 2015 season begins next April.